2018 Wool Fest Classes & Workshops

*Register early starting July 1 as these classes can sell out. *Registration is open until 12 pm on September 30 and pre-registration is required.*To see if space is available after September 30, call 208.720.0585 orvisit our Headquarters at the Limelight Hotel Wednesday-Saturday, October 10-13, from 9 am to 5 pm

Learn the ancient Japanese art of binding, stitching, folding, twisting and compressing to create patterns on cloth. Students will work with silk/wool scarves and fiber-reactive dyes to blend colors and patterns. The dyes are permanent, so please dress for mess!

MORE ABOUT LONNA:Lonna is a fiber artist/ instructor living in Idaho who refurbishes and repairs looms, spinning wheels and fiber working tools. She has written for SpinOff magazine and taught at numerous festivals and fiber arts venues throughout the Western US.

LEAPING LAMB POUCH

Instructor: Joan Contraman (Montana)Date: Friday, October 12Time: 9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.Location: The Grange Hall - Hailey (609 S. 3rd Avenue)Cost: $80Skill Level: All Levels (not suitable for young children)Students will learn the art of wet felting to make the front of the pouch, plus various embroidery stitches to depict the lamb, grass and flowers. Each student will receive a kit to complete their pouch, including fibers for felting, handspun 100% wool embroidery yarns, seed beads, backing, interfacing, lining and strap. The pouch is designed to hold an iPhone, but the uses for this charming little bag are limited only by your imagination!

MORE ABOUT JOAN:Joan holds a BA in Fine Arts and has been working with fiber for over 45 years. She loves to experiment with many different fibers and techniques. Joan owned a sheep ranch for 22 years, and worked to develop domestic spotted sheep. She owns and operates her own spinning and weaving business, Crosspatch Creations, in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of Montana. Her Signature Batts are nationally known. Joan enjoys teaching, and students return to her classes in all parts of the West.

Third in a series of designs highlighting local barns, the Mitchell Homestead project is offered by Wood River Valley designer Susan Coons in wool hand-applique and embroidery techniques. The kit to make the top is included in the price of this class. Don’t miss this opportunity to stitch local lore! Additional basic sewing supplies are necessary; please call the shop for details well ahead of the class at 208.788.1331.

MORE ABOUT SUSAN:Susan is well known locally for not only her talents but her experience in instructing students on a variety of subjects related to hand and machine embroidery, quilting, and applique.

Shibori Too will look at wrapping, twisting, folding and binding fabrics with the use of multiple dye colors to produce a modern take on this ancient form of enhancing fabrics. This class differs from the Shibori Dyeing class as it uses differing techniques and tools to produce colors and patterns that emulate natural formations and textures. The dyes are permanent, so please dress for mess!

MORE ABOUT LONNA: Lonna is a fiber artist/ instructor living in Idaho who refurbishes and repairs looms, spinning wheels and fiber working tools. She has written for SpinOff magazine and taught at numerous festivals and fiber arts venues throughout the Western US.

While the basics of rug hooking are simple—pulling loops of wool through a rug foundation—the designs and uses are widely varied. Learn to make a small, charming, sheep textile in class and go home with enough tools to continue with other projects. Students will receive a hook, small frame and clips to continue making pillow tops, trivets, tote bags and rugs. Learn from one of the best!

MORE ABOUT YVONNE:Yvonne is a fiber artist who designs ‘wool paintings’. She hand dyes the wool fabric, cuts the fabric into strips and, using an Oxford punch needle, pulls loops through a linen canvas. Yvonne has been published in the following magazines: Primitive Quilts, Wool Street Journal, Primitive Punchneedle and featured in Wool Works.

Make cheerful socks (or booties) for the little ones in your life. While the project in this class is for tiny feet, this technique will allow knitters to make socks of any size in the future. It may be possible in this class to finish one sock, if not both, depending on knitting speed. All materials are included in the class fee for this very popular class. Please call the shop well ahead of the class day for a list of knitting tools needed at 208.928.7620.

MORE ABOUT PATRICIA: Patricia is known far and wide for her talent, and her Ketchum shop filled with beautiful supplies for stitchers and knitters. Her classes are always much anticipated for their variety and creativity.

Learn the magic of producing natural color using plants and other substances sourced directly from nature. Growing up in Mexico, Elena is very experienced in dyeing and weaving in the Zapotec tradition. In this class, students will create those traditional blue, red, and yellow dyes using cochineal, indigo and tarragon. Each student will take home a small skein of wool dyed in each color. Please come dressed for a happy mess!

MORE ABOUT ELENA:Elena has been working with her family and community in all processes of making the Zapotec tapetes (rugs) since she was young. She is a Zapotec. These indigenous people have been in existence for over 2,000 years. Basically agricultural, the introduction of the European loom and sheep (Churros) were brought to them in the 1500s with the arrival of the Spanish and Jesuits. Even as many weavers today use chemical dyes, Elena works to bring back the natural plant and insect dyes to not only her people, but to us.

This quick and easy scarf has a lovely soft drape, and is appropriate for women and men. Students will choose from a variety of colors in luscious Superwash Merino wool (included in class fee). Please call the shop well ahead of the class day for a list of knitting tools needed at 208.928.7620.

MORE ABOUT PATRICIA: Patricia is known far and wide for her talent, and her Ketchum shop filled with beautiful supplies for stitchers and knitters. Her classes are always much anticipated for their variety and creativity.

Learn to felt an ethereal and delicate scarf with hand-dyed wool fiber. This method is unlike the usual felting techniques that render more structural cloth. In this class, the most difficult part is the restraint! This is the magic that produces a soft, dreamy-weight textile. Students will play with color blending and texture.

MORE ABOUT DEB: Deb Gelet is a working textile artist who has taught a myriad of fiber techniques throughout Idaho for more decades than she cares to count. She is well-known for her ability to coax the creative spirit out of her students with love and humor. A grant recipient from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, her previous teaching venues include the Trailing of the Sheep Festival, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Salmon Arts Council, Challis Arts Council and various fiber guilds statewide.

Your fleece is clean and dry, or you’ve swooned over that beautiful hand-dyed fiber from a local artisan…now what? Learn how to comb and card wool fiber by hand using simple, inexpensive tools. Students will practice using hand cards, English combs and dizzes with tools borrowed from Desert Garden Farms for this class only. This is a great way to learn which tools are best for you before buying them. Students will take home their prepared fibers. Or, bring them to Jennifer’s afternoon spinning class to turn them into glorious yarns!

MORE ABOUT JENNIFER: Jennifer Green is the head shepherdess at Desert Garden Farms. She has been spinning for 10 years and knitting and crocheting for 9 years. Jennifer has been teaching spinning in a variety of forms for the last 6 years. She derives great enjoyment from passing on skills that date back to the beginning of textiles as well as sharing new and exciting skills.

Learn to dye lovely wool-silk blend scarves with two different techniques to create one scarf with colorful stripes, and one scarf in bright diamond-shaped circles. Each student will make a 14”x72” scarf, and a 35”x35” scarf. Please remember that the dyes are permanent, so dress for mess!

MORE ABOUT JOAN:Joan holds a BA in Fine Arts and has been working with fiber for over 45 years. She loves to experiment with many different fibers and techniques. Joan owned a sheep ranch for 22 years, and worked to develop domestic spotted sheep. She owns and operates her own spinning and weaving business, Crosspatch Creations, in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of Montana. Her Signature Batts are nationally known. Joan enjoys teaching, and students return to her classes in all parts of the West.

Learn to make felted two or three-dimensional shapes such as animals or insects. With a sharp, barbed needle, it is quick and easy to shape and tangle wool fibers into a solid artistic shape. Bring your own imagery (field guide?) if you would like to work from that. All materials are included, and students will take their creations home.

MORE ABOUT DORIS: Doris is a world traveler who has spent time with native weavers throughout the world! Most of her travels in the Caribbean and Central America have been on her 44 -foot sailing cruiser. Teaching at our Festival for the first time, she is a tapestry weaver and fiber sculptor who has been learning various techniques from the natives while exchanging what she has learned from others plus her own experiences.

Join Doris to learn Taniko, a very portable method of twining or finger-weaving that produces sculptural shapes or functional pieces such as bags or scarves. Taniko has been documented in the native cultures of New Zealand, the northeastern US and Alaska. All materials are included, and students will take their creations home.

MORE ABOUT DORIS: Doris is a world traveler who has spent time with native weavers throughout the world! Most of her travels in the Caribbean and Central America have been on her 44 -foot sailing cruiser. Teaching at our Festival for the first time, she is a tapestry weaver and fiber sculptor who has been learning various techniques from the natives while exchanging what she has learned from others plus her own experiences.

This class is jam-packed with practical information based on real life experience and includes how to clean raw fleece, prepare clean fleece for studio production and uses for the fiber. Students will leave with materials suitable for future reference including small tufts of various fibers to be kept with notes and class handouts. If there is time, students may also be introduced to simple felting techniques for these fibers. This is a very popular class at the Festival and welcomes a wide variety of student experience and questions.

MORE ABOUT ELIZABETH:Elizabeth is an Idaho sheep rancher who shares her expert advice and practices in taking a fleece all the way from ‘after shearing’ to ready-for-use fiber.

Join in the fun and learn to spin your own yarns using a simple and portable drop-spindle. This centuries-old method is still in wide use today and is easy to learn. Students will receive their own drop-spindle (plus fibers) and will take home their unique hand-spun yarns for stitching, knitting, weaving or simply adorning gifts. Students from the morning class are welcome to bring their own prepared fibers to take them to the next step.

MORE ABOUT JENNIFER: Jennifer Green is the head shepherdess at Desert Garden Farms. She has been spinning for 10 years and knitting and crocheting for 9 years. Jennifer has been teaching spinning in a variety of forms for the last 6 years. She derives great enjoyment from passing on skills that date back to the beginning of textiles as well as sharing new and exciting skills.

Students will learn to warp the Crosspatch Lap Loom, plan their design, make a weaving “shed” and much more. This class is perfect for complete beginners as well as experienced weavers. Each student will receive two kits: the Crosspatch Lap Loom Kit and the Tapestry Beaded Bag Kit. These two kits will provide each student with everything needed to complete a 4”- 5” woven bag. This is a great “out-of-the-box” approach to weaving!

MORE ABOUT JOAN:Joan holds a BA in Fine Arts and has been working with fiber for over 45 years. She loves to experiment with many different fibers and techniques. Joan owned a sheep ranch for 22 years, and worked to develop domestic spotted sheep. She owns and operates her own spinning and weaving business, Crosspatch Creations, in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley of Montana. Her Signature Batts are nationally known. Joan enjoys teaching, and students return to her classes in all parts of the West.

Join Wood River Valley designer Susan Coons for an afternoon of wool hand-applique and embroidery techniques that will result in an adorable sheep scene to top a paper Mache box. The kit for creating the box lid is included in the price of this class. Additional basic sewing supplies are necessary; please call the shop for details well ahead of the class at 208.788.1331.

MORE ABOUT SUSAN:Susan is well known locally for not only her talents but her experience in instructing students on a variety of subjects related to hand and machine embroidery, quilting, and applique.

Create your own simple or extravagant tassels and pompoms to adorn purses, backpacks, wall hangings, wrapped gifts or garlands for celebrations! If you’re hooked on Pinterest, you have seen these in gorgeous photos and used in hundreds of ways. Join in the fun and be prepared for the upcoming holiday season! Please call the shop well ahead of the class day for a list of small tools needed at 208.928.7620.

MORE ABOUT PATRICIA: Patricia is known far and wide for her talent, and her Ketchum shop filled with beautiful supplies for stitchers and knitters. Her classes are always much anticipated for their variety and creativity.

Refund Policy: Refunds for Fiber Classes will be issued until 12:00 noon on September 1, 2018. A $5 fee will be assessed and only the class cost (but no original processing fees) will be refunded. Thank you.

We are always interested in hearing from people who want to be an instructor for our Wool Fest and will accept inquiries from October to January each year. Please inquire with us at info@trailingofthesheep.org. Thank you!